Brave New World
by Imagineer1392
Summary: Bella Veria is thrown into a new world when her father moves her from America to England. Can she adjust to her life at Hogwarts? Will she discover what happened in England 12 years ago? What's with her crazy, recurring dream about Quidditch? Draco/OC Oliver/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all you beautiful readers! Welcome to my first ever fanfiction. I'm a bit nervous, but I know all of you will review and give me lovely ideas (or tell me how much I suck. Don't worry, I'm prepared). **

***Disclaimer* I do not own Harry Potter, the glorious JK Rowling does. If I did, Draco would have been amazing and Oliver and Blaise would have had a bigger part in the plot. Let's just face it, they're awesome.**

*****CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A BETA. Please message me if you're interested.*****

_She flew in formation with her other Chasers. She watched as the Chaser to her left collided with the opposing player, causing him to drop the Quaffle. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as it fell and reached out for it, using her knees to guide her broom. Smiling, she tucked it under her arm and sped towards the hoops in front of her. Once her hands were comfortably placed, she picked her feet up and crouched on the broom. She grabbed the ball and prepared herself for her signature score. Suddenly, she was falling and the cheers were replaced by screams…_

The ringing of the alarm clock woke her. She opened her eyes and looked around the room in alarm until she remembered where she was. "_The new house_," she thought. Bella groaned as she remembered her dream, the same dream she'd been having for the past year. "_Well, at least I have a gorgeous view_." She opened her curtains to reveal a landscape of rolling hills. The sun shone beautifully, uncharacteristic for the area, as though it wished to welcome her to her new home. "_Or make me forget about Blacksburg or Savannah…"_

The hills she now looked out onto were nothing like the majestic mountains she'd woken up to in Blacksburg, Virginia. She could easily picture driving down the small roads that wound around mountains covered in trees, so much so that it looked like they were one big shrub. Bella looked out on the trees outside her window and remembered her last day in Savannah, Georgia. She and Brittney, her best friend, had lain beneath a massive oak tree. Bella could still remember what it looked like when she closed her eyes. Even then, the light and the green of the leaves penetrated her eyelids. The colors shifted as the leaves moved with the wind. She laughed out loud as she remembered the argument she and her father had had the day before they left America to come to England.

"_But Dad!" Bella cried out._

"_No buts. We're going to England and that's final."_

_She looked at him in defiance for a brief moment and then sat down in defeat, knowing her father wanted to go back to England no more than she did. All of his friends were here in America too. Besides, England held all of the bad memories he tried to forget._

"_I guess I'll call Britt. Can she come over and help me pack?" The man glanced over at his daughter and sighed. This was going to be hard on both of them, but moving her away from her friends might be the hardest. Bella had finally gotten close to small group of friends that she adored._

"_Of course. Just try to be fast. Our portkey is scheduled to leave at 5pm tomorrow. We need to pack as much as we can into the smallest space to take with us. Everything else will be delivered later in the evening." Seeing the question in his daughter's eyes, he added, "I already furnished the house. Oh, and Hogwarts sent over your school letter. We'll be going shopping Wednesday morning." The young woman nodded and walked away to call her best friend and break the bad news._

Those next few hours with Brittney had been hard for both girls. They went from sobbing to laughing over various memories as they packed her room together. Once the room was packed, her father allowed Brittney to spend the night to give the girls a little more time together. But all too soon it was time to leave Blacksburg behind and bravely enter the new world of England.

She glanced at her alarm clock to check the time and saw that it was close to 9am. "_Damn the time difference. I should have been up earlier. I missed my run_." She bent forwards, beginning her daily stretches before throwing on a pair of shorts and a tank top.

"Bella! Arabella, if you aren't downstairs in the next 10 minutes, so help me—"

"I'm coming!" Bella shouted back, cutting her father off. She bolted into the bathroom, quickly throwing her long blonde hair into a ponytail. She dusted on some brown and gold eye shadow to bring out her blue eyes as well as putting on light mascara. Bella smiled for a second as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was average height, around 5'6", and had an athletic build from the American soccer she played growing up. She looked in the mirror once more to double check her makeup before running down the stairs and sitting down at the table right as her father opened his mouth to call for her again.

"Good morning, Daddy dearest," she said to him, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. Her father, Tobias Veria, glanced at her before looking back to the Daily Prophet.

"Whatever you are thinking about asking for, the answer is no." Bella stuck her lip out in her best pouty face while she scooped eggs onto a piece of toast and took a bite.

"Dad, you promised that you'd get me something special today. I know what I want…" she trailed off. Her father's paper drooped ever so slightly. Bella took this as a good sign and set down her make shift sandwich before continuing. "It's not too big. A onetime gift, honestly. I'll behave admirably all term if I can just have it. I mean, I behave well anyways, but this would just insure, you know? And I'll take excellent ca-"

"Bella, please. We're going to Diagon Alley in 10 minutes. Tell me before I die of old age," her father sighed as he rolled his eyes.

"Well…IwantaFirebolt," she exclaimed in a rush of air.

"Come again?"

"I…I just would like…a…Firebolt?" she asked. The room was silent and still for a few minutes. She watched her father as he slowly set the paper down on the table. His face had paled some and Bella could see the worry lines in his forehead. He took a deep breath before responding to his daughter.

"We'll see. Let's get your school supplies first." Bella yipped in excitement and jumped up from the table. "That's not a yes, Bells! And get back her and clean up your plate!" her father called after her. She turned back and hurriedly cleaned up her breakfast dishes. She smiled broadly as she sprinted back up her stairs, knowing her father rarely denied her things anymore. She also knew he felt bad about moving her from Casseopia in Georgia all the way to England. She picked up her bag and school list and rushed back downstairs, ready to floo to Diagon Alley. She skidded to a halt in front of the fireplace and frowned as she felt the familiar knot in the pit of her stomach. As much as Bella hated going by the floo network, she knew it was faster than driving to London.

"Ready Bells?" Tobias asked. Bella nodded and stepped forward, grabbing a handful of the floo powder. "Remember to speak loud and clear. Diagon Alley. Try not to inhale a ton of ash this time either." Her father smiled at her as she looked nervously at the fireplace. Bella threw in the powder, stepped inside, and shouted, "DIAGON ALLEY!"

She immediately felt as though she was spinning recklessly through a never-ending tunnel. She tucked her elbows in after having pain shoot through them from hitting the sides. Suddenly she stumbled forward, landing in her destination.

Bella looked around Diagon Alley in awe. It was so much larger-and busier-than the shopping center back home. People were dressed in a mix of muggle summer clothing and wizard robes. She rubbed her arm nervously as she took it all in. She turned around to ask her father where the book store was and promptly ran into a girl.

"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry!" Bella exclaimed. The other girl just sneered at her.

"Watch where you're walking, bitch," the girl snapped before sauntering away, her silver and green skirt billowing behind her. Bella continued to stare at the girl as she walked away.

"_Well, that went well_," she thought.

"Making friends already, I see," her father teased. Bella rolled her eyes and followed her father to finish up her shopping. By the end of day, she was loaded down with a new cauldron, potion supplies, books, and new quills and ink. She and her father returned home, where Tobias left Bella alone to finish her packing. Bella thought back to the girl she had run into at the beginning of the trip.

"_Will the people at Hogwarts are nicer than that?_," she thought. "_I don't think I could handle being friendless until I finish school_." As nervous as she was, Bella truly couldn't wait to begin a new life at her new school.

**Thanks so much for reading! The second chapter is already written, I just have to type it up. Hopefully I can get it up tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest. It truly depends on my finals. Please review **** I'll give you cookies!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I may hate myself for this tomorrow, but I really wanted to type and upload the second chapter so yall can get to know Bella a little bit more. Thanks for the reviews so far—they really are helping me. As for proper vernacular, I'm American. Honestly, I'm a southern belle. For things that Brits may or may not say, I am completely unaware. Unfortunately, Hogwarts is in England and I just have to try my best. If you see something somebody says that you know they wouldn't say, please tell me how to fix it. Thanks again lovelies 3**

***Disclaimer* I do not own Harry Potter, blah blah blah, I wish I did, blah blah blah.**

Bella rushed back and forth from her bedroom to her bathroom, trying to make sure she didn't forget anything. She stared at her bookshelf and grabbed three more books, tossing them into her trunk before slamming it shut. Suddenly, she froze and glanced all around the room. "Dad! Where's my cauldron?" Bella shouted, poking her head out her room.

"It's down here. You should be too, we need to hurry! The term started yesterday!" her father yelled at her.

"_Not like that's my fault," _she thought. The American ministry had written and demanded that he return to finish an important job. Tobias refused to leave his daughter alone in England, so Bella had to go along. They were in America for longer than they thought they were going to be, resulting in Bella missing the train to Hogwarts.

Bella picked up her pace to appease her father and pulled out her wand. She carefully levitated her trunk through her door and down the stairs, setting it down next to her cauldron. She grabbed hold of the handle on the end of her trunk and slipped her arm through her father's. He gripped her cauldron and looked down at her.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Bella took a deep breath and nodded. She hated side along apparition even more than going by floo. "You can't apparate directly into Hogwarts, but we're expected just outside the front gates," explained her father. She just closed her eyes and took another deep breath. Tobias twisted and she felt as though somebody was trying to squeeze her into a small box. Bile rose in her throat and she struggled to swallow it down.

Her feet finally hit the ground, but Bella didn't open her eyes until the nausea had passed. When she did open them, she gasped. A towering castle stood before her, high turrets all around. The gate in front of her opened and an older woman stepped out.

"Mr. and Ms. Veria, I presume?" the woman asked. Bella nodded while her father stuck out his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Tobias Veria." The older woman shook his hand in return.

"Pleasure. Minvera McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration and Head of the Gryffindor House. You must be Arabella." Professor McGonagall turned to face Bella.

"Yes ma'am. Thank you for meeting us," Bella politely replied. The professor nodded and gestured to the luggage.

"I assume you can levitate items?" she asked. Bella smiled and pointed her wand at her luggage and wordlessly levitated them.

McGonagall tutted but smiled at the young girl. "Set them down once we're inside the doors. The house-elves will take care of them after that." Bella nodded and followed the two adults across Hogwarts' grounds, her eyes never staying on one thing for long. She took in a large lake with around the entirety of it. _"Perfect for my runs," _she thought. She turned her head and saw a dark, forbidding forest with a hut on the outskirts. Her eyes followed a well worn path which led to a large stadium. "_Quidditch?!_" she hoped. She quickly shot that idea down. Yes, her father had caved and bought her the new Firebolt, but she knew she wouldn't have a change on the team here at Hogwarts. Her father wouldn't let her participate in the classes at Casseopia and was incredibly upset with her when he found out she tried out flying on her own. He had finally relented the year before and allowed her to try out for the team, but she didn't make it. However, that didn't stop Bella from practicing on her own when she could.

Bella stopped just outside the huge main doors of Hogwarts. She marveled at the detail in the architecture of the great castle. The doors had a large design of their own, but looking closely, Bella could see the minute designs that made up the larger decorations.

"Ms. Veria." McGonagall's voice jerked Bella out of her thoughts. The professor eyed her before letting out a small smile. "Welcome home," she said as the doors slowly opened. Bella watched in awe as the doors opened to reveal the great expanse of the hall. She lowered her luggage to the floor and took a small step inside before turning around to hug father.

"Bye Daddy," Bella whispered. Mr. Veria kissed the top of his daughter's head and held her for another moment before letting go.

"You'll do great things here, Arabella Naomi Veria. Your mother did," he whispered to her. "But stay out of trouble!" he added with a stern look. She rolled her eyes and laughed before waving goodbye to her father as he walked back to the front gates. She stayed there watching him until he disappeared from sight and then turned once more to Hogwarts.

"_Home_," she thought. "_Mom walked these halls everyday for seven years._" As she walked into the main hall, Professor McGonagall started telling her what would happen next.

"Well, Ms. Veria, first we need to get you sorted into your house," she told Bella. Bella looked up in surprise.

"So soon? But I don't even know anything about the houses!" she exclaimed.

"Ah yes, Casseopia allows you to live a day in each house before being sorted, don't they?" McGonagall asked. Bella nodded. "Well, here it's a different process. We have a special hat that looks into your mind and sorts you by your own characteristics. Casseopia had you take a test and judged you by your answers. Our hat will have you sorted within minutes. Once you're sorted, we'll discuss your classes. By then it'll be lunch and you can meet some of your housemates and head to class. Any questions?" the professor finished. Bella stared at her professor for a minute before shaking her head no.

She followed McGonagall through another set of open doors and into the Great Hall. There were a few students already in the hall and a few glanced up at her with interest before looking back to their books or continuing their conversations. Bella looked up and realized that the ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky outside. She stared at it, fascinated and intrigued by the intrinsic magic that must have gone into it. Entranced by the ceiling, she almost ran into Professor McGonagall.

"Oops, sorry Professor!" she giggled. She continued to follow the professor to a set of gargoyles.

"Lemon drops," McGonagall spoke and the gargoyles sprang aside, revealing a circular staircase. Bella again followed the professor until she stopped inside a small room. Bella looked around curiously until her eyes fell on an old, battered hat on a stool. McGonagall stepped forward and picked the hat up, motioning to Bella to sit down on the stool. Bella did so and McGonagall slipped the hat onto her head. She jumped when she realized the hat was speaking!

"_Ahhh Ms. Veria. Already so similar to your mother, I see_," the hat spoke in her mind.

"_You…you knew my mother?_" she asked tentatively.

"_I remember her well. 11 years old, terrified to be sorted. Of course, she did quite well in her house. Yes, I see many of the same things in your mind as in hers. The love for Quidditch is certainly there. Well, perhaps putting you in the same house will help you discover more about her and yourself. It better be…_Slytherin!" the hat shouted out loud.

Bella took the hat off and placed it back on the stool. Her mind was racing with this little bit of new information. Her mother was in Slytherin, just like she now was. But more importantly, her mother had loved Quidditch, just like Bella did. Before she could think about it anymore, McGonagall began to ask about her schedule. "So I believe you took Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History of Magic, and Divination at Casseopia, correct?" she asked. Bella smiled and nodded. "Well, here at Hogwarts, we don't start Divination until the third year. We also start Herbology at the first year. I understand that Casseopia also starts out when you are 10, so you may be a year ahead of the others your age. We'll start you out in the third year and decide from there. In place of Divination, you will start Herbology with the first years. Professor Sprout will move you ahead in the classes as she sees you advancing." She glanced that the clock on the wall. "There are still about 10 minutes left in the morning classes. I'll escort you to the Slytherin head and he can take you from there. Any questions, Ms. Veria?" McGonagall asked as she placed the tip of her wand on a blank sheet paper. When she handed it to Bella, it had her new schedule printed out on it.

"No ma'am, no questions. Just ready to start!" she said with a smile.

**Well, not as in depth with Bella as I wanted yet, but it just didn't feel right at this point in the story. I absolutely promise the next chapter will include a more in depth background to Bella and her time at Casseopia. It will also introduce a few more main characters. As always, review : ) Perhaps there will more cookies in the future for you! Who doesn't love cookies?! Haha, thank you for reading this.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry that it's been like 2 days since I updated :/ But on a bright note, my finals are over and it's officially summer! Hurray! Which means faster updates! Even more hurray! Also, thanks to everybody who has read and are following this story. It means a lot to me that you want to learn more about Bella :) I'm still trying to figure out exactly what to do with this story, but the more time I spend thinking about it, the more clear it becomes. Anyways! On with the story!**

***Disclaimer* Alas, I am not JK Rowling. Therefore, I do not own Harry Potter. Just my lovely Arabella and the plot!**

Bella rushed to catch up with Professor McGonagall as she stopped to stare at yet another amazing piece of Hogwarts architecture. She couldn't wait to have free time to get to explore the castle even more. As the corridor they followed became darker and colder, Bella realized they were headed towards dungeons. Suddenly, a horde of students came rushing down the hall. The walls of the corridor echoed the noise made by the students and made it seem to Bella as though there were hundreds of students. Finally the professor stopped at a door towards the very end.

"Well, Ms. Veria, this is where I leave you. This is the potions room. Professor Snape, the potions master, will be right inside. Judging by the students we passed, class has ended. Professor Snape, however, is also your head of the house and can direct you to your house's common room." The professor glanced at the schedule in Bella's hand. "I expect to see you in Transfiguration in two hours. Good-bye Ms. Veria." With that, McGonagall spun around and walked back down the corridor.

Bella looked around hesitantly before knocking quietly on the door. "You may enter," came a slow drawl from inside. Bella pushed the door open and stepped inside. All around her were cauldrons and potion ingredients. Her nose was assaulted by different smells, some pleasant, some not.

"May I help you?" a voice called out. Bella looked up and saw a man at the front. He was slightly slouched with a long nose. She tentatively smiled and walked toward the front of the classroom.

"Yes sir. My name is Arabella Veria. I'm the new transfer from Casseopia. Professor McGonagall brought me down here. She said you were my potions professor and the head of my house," Bella explained. The professor looked at Bella with hard eyes before they softened ever so slightly.

"Ah yes, Ms. Veria. Pleasure. Welcome to Hogwarts and Slytherin house. I am Professor Snape. I will expect great things from you, of course. Slytherin may be known for their cunning ways, but we are also known for our intelligence. If you have any questions or need any help, do not hesitate to ask," Snape finished. Bella was about to answer when another voice called out.

"Professor, I finished cleaning the last cauldron. Can I go now?"

Bella turned away to face a young man about her age. He had platinum blonde hair and liquid silver eyes. He stood about four inches taller than she, but seemed to tower above everybody. His structured face had a hardness about it, but Bella thought she could see faint laugh lines. She blushed when she realized he had caught her staring.

"One second, Mr. Malfoy," Snape told him. "This is Arabella Veria. She's transferring from Casseopia in America and she's a third year Slytherin. I'd like you to show her around. I believe you will have a very similar schedule." Malfoy nodded and started to walk towards the door. "Oh, and Mr. Malfoy? Hopefully this cleaning experience will teach you to pay more attention to your own potion and less to Mr. Zabini's. You are dismissed. You as well, Ms. Veria."

Bella smiled and thanked the professor before turning to face Malfoy. He sighed and beckoned to the door and waited to move until he saw Bella move toward it. Once they were outside the classroom, he turned to her.

"Draco Malfoy. Nice to meet you Arabella," he smiled. Bella blushed again and tripped a little.

"_He could smile at me like that every day," _she thought. Then she realized he had asked her a question. "I am so sorry. Could you repeat that?" she asked. "_Great, now I look like an idiot. Wonderful first impression Bella."_

"I was just wondering why you transferred here from America," Draco asked.

"Right! Well my father worked for the Ministry in America. I'm not really sure what, he's never said. All I know is that he travels a lot. Anyways, he got a letter from the Ministry here in England saying that they needed him here. That meant taking me out of Casseopia and moving me here," she explained. She looked around and realized they were moving deeper into the dungeons. "Where are we going?"

"Our common house. We're in the dungeons. It's actually pretty cool, wait until you see it!" Draco smiled again. "So you're a third year. Means you're either 13 or 14, right?"

"14, but I turn 15 in December."

Draco looked at her confused. "Then why are you in third year?"

"Well, I think they want to test me and see what I've learned. Casseopia starts a year later than Hogwarts, but we learn at a faster pace. Plus we start Divination our first year and don't pick up Herbology until the third year. Our headmistress is a great believe in the Divine Arts. I think it's a load of rubbish personally. I can't wait to start Herbology soon!"

The two kept up a constant stream of conversation until they reached the common room. Bella was a little startled when she heard the password was _pureblood_, but then she remembered reading somewhere that Salazar Slytherin was big on blood status. She quickly forgot everything she was thinking as she looked around the room. It was bathed in an eerie green light which she realized was coming from the windows. When she stepped closer to look, Draco answered the question forming in her mind.

"We're under the lake. Sometimes you get to see the giant squid swim by the window, but that only happens if it's really bright outside. Otherwise he just blends in with the water." Bella looked back at him with wide eyes. "Oh, don't worry. He's pretty friendly. We go swimming in the lake all the time," he added.

This made Bella look at him again with appraising eyes. "_I would absolutely love to see you swimming in that lake,_" she thought. "_Oh Merlin, what's wrong with me?! It's not like I've never seen a boy before. Well…maybe not a boy this good looking."_ She circled the room once more as Draco pointed out the girls' rooms.

"Arabella, do you mind if we go eat lunch? I have Transfiguration next and it's kind of a long walk," Draco said.

"Oh, of course! And please, it's just Bella. Nobody calls me Arabella anymore." They started walking out of the dungeons and Bella glanced down at her schedule. "I have Transfiguration too! That'll make it easier to find!" The two compared schedules and found that they had every class together with the exception of Divination and Herbology. While the other third years learned about the Divine Arts, Bella was to attend Herbology with the first years. By the time they were done looking at the schedules, they had arrived at the Great Hall. Bella looked around at all the other students and suddenly felt shy. She quietly followed Draco to the Slytherin table.

"Hey Blaise, Theo. This is Bella. She just transferred here from America," Draco introduced. Bella immediately felt welcomed and took a seat next to Blaise.

"Hey Bella, nice to meet you!" Blaise exclaimed. Theo leaned over and asked about Casseopia, so Bella launched into the same story she told Draco.

"So basically, I left behind my best friend, Brittney, and came here with my Dad," she finished.

"Sorry if this is inappropriate Bella, but what about your mother?" Blaise asked her. Bella looked down and smiled slightly.

"Mom died about 12 years ago. I don't really remember her that much. Sometimes flashes of her laugh or smile. Dad never talks about her. We only have a few pictures of her around the house. Their wedding, one with me as a baby…that's about it. But I heard Dad and one of Mom's old friends talking one time. It was right after I broke my wrist. That's how he found out about me practicing Quidditch—I broke my wrist when I fell from my broom. Anyways, she was saying how much like Mom I was and how Mom would have been thrilled that I loved Quidditch. But then I tripped on the cat and once they knew I was there, they stopped talking," she told them. She wiped her eyes on her robe and scolded herself for crying.

Draco, in a desperate attempt to change subjects, latched onto Quidditch. "So you play then? What position? Are you any good?"

She laughed as began to put food on her plate. "Well, I didn't make the team at Casseopia, but Rajesh-he's the captain-he said that with a little practice I could have made it for sure this year. I practiced with the team all last year and on my own this summer. I play chaser, by the way."

As the conversation turned more towards the Slytherin Quidditch team, Bella was content to just listen to the boys. Just as she was zoning out, Blaise nudged her elbow.

"Did you hear Draco? Slytherin team try-outs are in two days. You should definitely go for the team," he told her.

Bella looked nervously at her plate. "Well…do you think you could practice with me one time before hand? I…I don't want to look stupid. Draco, you said you're on the team, right? Practice with me and let me know if you think I'm good enough. Please?" she added, looking at Draco with what she hoped was a decent puppy dog face.

Draco rolled his eyes and laughed. "Yeah, of course. But hey, we need to leave for Transfiguration. Come on, Bella, we can talk about our practice on the way up."

As they were leaving the hall, Bella looked at the guys around her and smiled. _"I'll have to tell Dad that I made friends already. Three VERY attractive friends at that!_" she giggled. Just then Theo asked about the American Quidditch league. Bella enthusiastically began to answer him as they walked to their class together.

**Whoa. Almost 2000 words. That's a new record for me! Well, we finally met Draco. Next chapter will have a little girl drama (Remember the rude chick from chapter 1?** **Yeah. Her.), Quidditch practice, and the introduction of another love interest into the story :) Please keep reading and reviewing, it makes me happy to get my little notifications! Until next time, my loves 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again my loves! I really meant to update yesterday, but after my long semester and having 3 papers due for finals, I decided to give myself a break from writing. But imagine my surprise (and I'm still surprised!) when I got the notification that somebody favorited my story! ****xXallegedangelXx****, you get all the cookies in the world. Ever. Lifetime supply. Alright, on with the story!**

***Disclaimer* Do I seriously need to say this? I'm not JK Rowling, I don't own Harry Potter. If I was, I wouldn't be leaving for work at freaking Starbucks in 3 hours.**

The rest of the evening flew by. Bella loved all of her classes so far. She couldn't wait for Charms and Herbology the next day. In Transfiguration, Blaise introduced her to Daphne Greengrass, another girl in her year. The two hit it off right away, especially after Bella helped Daphne transform her mouse into a needle and Daphne nudged Bella awake during their History of Magic.

"You would think a class taught by a fucking ghost would be more entertaining," Bella mumbled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Draco and Blaise were still laughing over how she was talking in her sleep.

"You didn't say anything embarrassing, I promise," Daphne ensured her. Bella looked at her suspiciously, but Daphne just rolled her eyes. "You were saying something about Quidditch, that's all we could make out." She glanced over at Bella and mumbled to herself, "Can't I have a regular girl friend? Nooo, I'm stuck with one who loves Quidditch…"

Bella started laughing at this herself and slipped her arm through Daphne's. "Oh Daph, don't worry. I love shopping and parties and regular girly stuff too," she giggled. The two girls skipped ahead of the boys, laughing and chatting like old friends. Bella walked through the opening to the common room and looked back to say something to Daphne, but before she could say anything she ran into somebody walking out.

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!" she gushed.

"Watch where you're walki—well isn't this déjà vu?" she other girl spat. Bella looked at the girl in confusion until she recognized her. It was the girl from Diagon Alley!

"Who the hell are you, anyway? I've never seen you before and I know ALL the Slytherins. Well," she giggled, "the good looking ones anyway." The other girls around her cackled at her joke.

"Leave her be, Pansy," Daphne sighed. "She's a new transfer and she's in our year."

Pansy made a disgusted face. "Ew, I have to live with her too?! Oh no, she can go live with the firsties."

Daphne grabbed Bella's hand and pushed past Pansy and her gaggle of followers. "Ignore Pansy," she whispered as the girls went up to their dorm. "She's always a bitch." Bella rolled her eyes and walked over to her bed to drop off her book bag. "Oh, and I should warn you. She has a huge crush on Draco and well…she might get worse once she knows you're hanging around him," Daphne added.

"Well let me warn you, Daph. I'm not one to take shit from anybody. She'll wish she never started anything with me if she does something," Bella told her, a new hardness in her voice.

Daph smiled and turned to walk out the dorm. "Remind me not to get on your bad side," she laughed.

On their way to the Great Hall, they ran into Astoria, Daphne's little sister. Bella noticed that she was quieter than her big sister, but lethal with her looks. Daphne told her about Bella's run in with Pansy and Astoria shot Pansy a deadly glare as they went to take their seats at dinner. _"If looks could kill…" _Bella thought.

Daphne glanced up and down the table and noticed the boys went there. "Weren't Draco and Blaise right behind us?" she asked.

Bella thought for a second. "We did leave them behind us…if they walked really slowly, they would have missed the entire thing with Pansy. They could have gone to the dorm when we were dropping our stuff off, I guess." Just then the food arrived. With a feast to distract them, they didn't notice Blaise and Draco walk in.

"Hello ladies," Blaise purred as he slipped in between Daphne and Bella.

Daphne smacked his arm, rolling her eyes in the process. "You are such a flirt, Zabini!"

Draco slid next to Bella and smiled at her as he started grabbing food. "What took yall so long?" Bella asked. Everybody around her stopped what they were doing and stared. "Umm…did I…say something wrong?"

"You…you said…yall!" Theo explained in between laughs.

"Yeah, I thought that was just some American stereotype!" Blaise yelled.

Bella blushed but stood her ground. "Look, I grew up in Virginia. Casseopia is in Georgia. You don't spend years in the south and not pick up a few things."

"We're not making fun of you, Bella," Draco explained. "It's just…you've got to understand, we haven't heard anybody say that before!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm sure I'll laugh when yall say some British thing," she smiled, sticking her tongue out at Blaise and Theo who started a whole new round of laughter at her use of the slang American term.

Blaise cleared his throat and took deep breaths, trying to quit his laughter. "Anyways, we changed clothes and brought our brooms and a practice quaffle with us," he explained, pointing to the Quidditch gear that lay against the wall behind them. "You did say you wanted practice before try outs, didn't you?"

She smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "We can practice after dinner?" she asked.

Blaise smiled as Draco nodded. "Yeah, as soon as we're done eating, we can go."

At this, Bella quickly finished her food and jumped up. "I'll meet you all back down here!" she shouted as she ran out of the hall. She sprinted down the dungeons and skipped steps as she climbed the stairs to her dorm room. She grabbed a pair of her running shorts and a tank top and threw her hair up in a pony tail. Grabbing her broom and gloves, she bolted back down the stairs and skidded to a halt just aside the hall. Bella forced herself to take a deep breath to slow down her breathing and strolled into the great hall. She was too excited at the prospect of Quidditch practice to notice a pair of eyes on her from across the hall. She bent down behind Draco and whispered, "Can we go now?" They all laughed as Draco jumped.

"Yeah, let's go. Merlin, you're like a kid on Christmas morning," he told her as he and Blaise grabbed their gear. They walked out the great hall together, Bella practically bouncing with joy. She hadn't had a chance to try out her new Firebolt and she was dying to see how it flew. None of them noticed the two pairs of eyes trained on them, one full of hatred, the other full of curiosity.

Blaise and Draco laughed at Bella as she skipped ahead towards the pitch. She turned around every few seconds to tell them to hurry up. Finally they reached the pitch. Bella had already dropped to the ground and started her stretches, trying to limber up before flying.

"We're not playing a match," Draco drawled as he watched Bella stretch her hamstrings.

"Better safe than sorry," she sing-songed as she stretched her arms. Bella finally grabbed her broom and mounted, floating a few feet in the air. "Ready then?" she smiled.

The guys nodded as they too mounted their brooms. "One lap around the pitch to warm up. Then two laps around with Blaise at the other end of the pitch. I want to see if you can catch up to him. Normally we wouldn't give him that much of a head start, but with your Firebolt…it's a fair advantage. After that, we'll try shots on goal," Draco explained. Bella grinned wide and shot off around the pitch.

Bella couldn't believe the power the broom had. It took the slightest touch from her to turn it and she could stop on a dime if she wanted to. It took two laps for her to get used to it as it was much faster and more sensitive than the Nimbus she had been riding at Casseopia. Finally she stopped to hover in front of Draco.

"Alright, Blaise is at the opposite end of the pitch. When I blow my whistle, try to catch up to him. Ready…set…" Bella readied herself and waited for the whistle. When she heard the shrill shriek, she shot toward the other end of the pitch, her eyes on Blaise. She cut through the air, the wind blowing her pony tail around. Her eyes began to water as she lay closer to her broom and gained speed to catch up to Blaise. He was steadily getting closer and closer and Bella finally passed him as she finished a full lap around the pitch.

"That broom has some intense power!" Blaise looked upon the Firebolt with awe and glanced up at Bella. "You handle it well. I looked back and saw you coming toward the end. You were so close to the broom, I could barely tell where it ended and you started!"

Bella blushed for what seemed like the 5th time that night. "Well…um…thanks Blaise."

"Catch!" Draco yelled as he tossed the ball at Bella. She hadn't been expecting that but some kind of instinct kicked in suddenly. Her arms stretched out and she caught the ball by her finger tips. She immediately brought the ball to her chest and cradled it under an arm. Bella looked at Draco with surprise as he and Blaise looked at Bella with smug smiles.

"If she can score as well as she can fly and catch, she'll be unstoppable!" Blaise told Draco as he rose to take his place in front of the hoops.

Draco motioned for Bella to toss the ball back to him. "Now, Blaise isn't our keeper. If you get a ball past him, it's not a big deal. But we're just trying to see how you handle catching a ball and immediately taking a shot," he explained as he rose to a spot diagonal from Blaise. "I'll throw the ball to you, sometimes from the left or the right, or I'll drop it from above. As soon as you have it, I want you to toss it into a hoop. Ready?"

Bella nodded, suddenly nervous. She'd always been pretty good at taking shots, but she could barely get any past the keeper at Casseopia. She readied herself again and looked toward Draco. Draco tossed the first ball a little in front of her. She sped up to catch it and immediately shot it into the left hoop, the quaffle soaring through. Blaise flew down to catch it and toss it back to Draco. This went on for the better half of an hour, Bella making almost all of her shots. She never missed a catch.

Draco finally held up his hand. The three floated back down to the ground and dismounted.

"I think it's safe to say you have a mighty good chance at the team," Draco told her, smiling. Bella grinned and threw her arms around him.

"Oh Draco, thank you so much!" she exclaimed. She kissed him on his cheek before turning to hug Blaise. "You too Blaise, really. You guys are great!" She laughed and jumped around the pitch. Her excitement was contagious; Draco and Blaise couldn't help but smile and laugh along with her. They began to walk back towards the castle together.

"You were really great out there," a voice called from a shadow by the stands. All three stopped and turned, Draco and Blaise having already pulled their wands out. A guy stepped out from the shadows, his arms raised in defense. "Whoa, I don't want any trouble. You can put the wands away, Malfoy, Zabini."

Draco scoffed as he looked at the guy. "Not likely, Wood. What, come out to spy on the competition? She's not even on the team yet."

Wood smiled and stepped closer. "Maybe not, but she's on her way. Hello lass, I'm Oliver Wood," he introduced. "I'm the Gryffindor captain and keeper." He held his hand out toward Bella.

She looked at it for a second before smiling and stepping forward to shake his hand. "Hey. I'm Bella Veria. Just transferred here from Casseopia," she smiled. "_Damn, so Hogwarts is where all the attractive men are hiding!"_ she told herself.

"Well, I'll let you get back to the castle then. Just wanted to introduce myself and tell you that you fly quite well. Another time, Bella." Oliver winked at her and nodded at the boys before walking back up to the castle.

Blaise rolled his eyes and looked at Bella, who was still watching Oliver walk away. "Don't let his accent fool you, cara. He's about as dumb as the Gryffindors get," he told her.

"Dumb or not, he's attractive," she muttered as she started walking up to the castle, Blaise and Draco trailing behind.

Later that night, as she lay in bed, she thought about the practice. "_Those reflexes toward the quaffle…I don't understand. Maybe it's just after practicing all year long. It really is just a reflex,_" she thought. Bella knew one thing, though. She absolutely could not wait for Quidditch tryouts.

**Chapters are getting longer the more I write! Anyways, I hope you really liked this chapter. If you did, you should send me a review and tell me what you liked about! *Hint hint* I work late tonight and tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have a chapter up on Sunday. Please don't hesitate to review. Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey loves. I am so so sorry. I know it's been a week. I've kinda had a mid college crisis I was dealing with. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to my new followers-it's made me so excited to get online and see that you followed the story. **

***Disclaimer* I don't own Harry Potter, just Bella and this plot. I do use a scene from HP:POA in the last half of this. That is of course all JK Rowling's, except for the slight change in dialogue.**

_She looked around and saw that the stands were filled. Excitement rippled through her and she couldn't help but smile broadly. Blue and yellow flags waved everywhere her eyes fell. She watched the players dart across the pitch, blurring with the high speeds they had attained. She focused on one player, a Chaser, wearing blue and yellow robes. Suddenly, she was the player. She saw the Quaffle ought of the corner of her eye and instinctively reached for it. It was in her hands…she tucked it under her left arm…she she placed both hands on the broom…_

Bella jerked herself awake. Shakily, she ran her fingers through her hair. She hadn't had that dream since…"_Well, since the last time I played Quidditch,"_ she thought to herself. Looking around, she realized it was right about sunrise. "_I guess this is as good a time as ever for my run."_ Bella quietly got dressed in her work out gear and slipped into the bathroom. With a fresh face and brushed teeth, she was ready.

She slipped out of the dorm and the common house. Soon, Bella found herself at the start of the trail around the lake. She took a deep breath and took in the fresh smell of the morning. She lowered herself onto the ground and started with her stretches, her mind clear of everything but the upcoming run.

"And here I thought I was the only one crazy enough to be up this early!"

Bella jumped and spun around to see Oliver Wood. "Merlin, Oliver, give me a heart attack, why don't you?!"

"Sorry lass! I thought you heard me walk up." He grinned sheepishly at her. "Going for an early morning run?"

"No, I just thought I'd come out here and sit on the ground," she rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, I ran every morning back at Casseopia, but I've been trying to get used to the time change."

Oliver watched Bella as she finished stretching out. "Do you…mind if I run with you?"

She grinned up at him. "If you can keep up," she cheekily replied. She held out her hand and Oliver grabbed it, helping her up. He pulled harder than she thought he would and would have ended up back on the ground again if Oliver didn't grab her shoulders. Bella found herself against Oliver's chest and quickly backed up while blushing.

"Oops, sorry Bella," he whispered.

"Umm…well, let's uh go run…"

For a while, neither spoke. Bella enjoyed the silent companionship between the two of them. She slowly increased her speed as her legs stretched out and readjusted to the run. Oliver asked her about her life in America and at Casseopia. She told him everything she had told Draco and Blaise.

"So what drew you to Quidditch?" he asked.

"I'm not really sure. I guess it was the first match I saw at Casseopia. The speed of the game, the challenge of it all…it was fascinating. I asked my Dad if I could play, but he all but forbade me." Bella smiled at the memory of her father paling when she had asked at dinner. "Well, that basically ensured that I played. My best friend, Brittney was a chaser and her brother was the seeker on the team. He let me borrow his Nimbus to practice on with the rest of the team. My father found out only last April. I fell after an attempt at a trick and broke my wrist."

"He must have been pissed!" Oliver smiled back at her.

"You have no idea. Especially after they told him that was the fourth time that year I had broken my wrist trying this same trick. But…it was weird. The headmistress told him how good I was getting and how my grades hadn't suffered…and he got this proud look on his face. It was gone in an instant, but he changed after that. He let me continue to practice the rest of the year and over the summer. He finally bought me my own broom just before I got here."

They were nearing the Quidditch pitch. Bella grinned widely and yelled at Oliver, "Catch me if you can!" She put on a burst of speed and sprinted toward the pitch. She could hear Oliver's breathing behind her, but refused to look back. Finally, she reached the pitch. Bella did a slow jog to the center to cool down before dropping to the ground. The adrenaline felt fantastic and she rolled around on the ground laughing. She had forgotten how freeing a good run could be. She heard Oliver fall down beside her and join in with her laughter.

"Wow," he gasped, "You are a fast little thing."

Bella looked up at the sky and laughed. Rajesh used to tell her the same thing when he had the team do sprints. It was always her favorite exercise. "I love running," she told Oliver. "The faster I run, the more it feels like flying. I always dreamt of flying when I was little. Not like Quidditch flying, like soaring through the air, just me. It's probably another reason I love Quidditch. The freedom of it all." Her mind flashed back to her dream, but she shook it from her head.

She sat up and started her cool down stretches. Just then, her stomach grumbled. "I just that means it's breakfast," Bella laughed.

Oliver and Bella walked back to the castle, discussing Quidditch the whole time. They said their goodbyes as they went to their separate tables.

"Good morning," Bella told Blaise and Astoria as she sat down. The two Slytherins exchanged glances while Bella loaded her plate with eggs and bacon. "This place never has grits," she muttered to herself.

"Erm…Bella?"

"Yes, Tori?"

"Well…um…."

"Did you just walk in talking to Oliver Wood?" Blaise finished for Astoria.

Bella nodded her mouth too full of food to answer. She continued on with her breakfast, completely unaware of her friends' glances back and forth. She eventually looked up and saw both of them staring at her. "What? Am I not supposed to talk to Oliver?"

"Great, first name basis…" Blaise growled.

"Bella, he's the Gryffindor Quidditch captain. He could be using this to get closer and see how Flint is running the team this year," Astoria told her.

Bella just rolled her eyes. "I'm not even on the team yet, Tori. Besides, what does it hurt that I'm friends with him?"

"Are you sure you're just friends?" Blaise accused. Bella shot him a fiery glare.

"Don't start with me Zabini. I need to get ready for classes. I'll see yall later." With that, Bella stalked out of the Great Hall.

She was fuming mad at Blaise and Astoria. "_How dare they. I can be friends with whomever I want to be. And if they decide I can't be on the team just because I'm friends with Oliver, then maybe I don't want to be on the team!" _

She was so distracted she didn't even see Draco until she ran into him.

"Damn it! Draco, I'm sorry," Bella apologized as she bent to help pick up his parchments.

"It's fine, I wasn't watching where I was going," he told her.

Bella handed him the last parchment and turned to leave. "I'll see you in Care of Magical Creatures!" she yelled over her shoulder. She ran to her dorm to get ready for her day.

**BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW**

1 hour later found her outside, staring at the craziest things Bella had ever seen. They looked like a mix between horses and eagles.

"Hippogriffs! Beau'iful, aren' they?" their professor, Hagrid, told them. "Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud. Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

"Draco!" Bella hissed. "Are you even listening?"

"Calm down, Bella, we're just discussing tryouts. They're tonight, remember?" he told her. Bella rolled her eyes and turned back to the lesson. She watched as Harry Potter stepped forward first and approached the hippogriff. Hagrid even suggested that Potter try riding it—and off went Potter. Then it was the rest of the class's turn.

Draco, Bella, and two of Draco's friends, Crabbe and Goyle, stepped up to the hippogriff Potter had ridden, Buckbeak. She stepped up a little further from the boys and bowed slowly to the huge animal. She tried her hardest not to blink. Buckbeak, in return, sank into a bow. Bella was delighted and scooted forward to pat his neck.

"He's adorable," she giggled as she scratched under his ear. Crabbe and Goyle hung back while Draco tried next.

"This is very easy," he drawled, "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it…I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you? Are you, you great ugly brute?"

"Draco! No!" Bella shouted. It happened so fast. She saw Buckbeak rear up and she slammed herself into Draco, pushing him out of the way. She felt something hard connect with her wrist and then heard the all too familiar snap. Bella fell to the ground, cradling her wrist in her hand. She could hear screaming around her and opened her eyes to see Buckbeak nudging her leg, as if apologizing. Hagrid rushed up to pull him back before hurrying to Bella.

"Someone help me—gotta get her outta here—"

She was awake long enough to know Hagrid had picked her up and was carrying here to the castle. She briefly saw Draco's white blonde hair and heard him apologizing. After that, everything went black.

**One more chapter closer! Quidditch tryouts are next, along with a little more romance setup. Again, I'm sorry that it took me so long loves. It's been a hard week on me. But you could review and make me feel better : ) Love you all!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh loves, I'm so sorry it's been so long. I hope this chapter will make up for it. It's definitely a lot longer than I normally write. Plus there's finally a little fluff. Thank you so much to SwtTxnQt, jessicanicoleharp, literaryrachel, and xxAimzT for favoriting my story. It means so much to me that you're enjoying it. I'd love to hear ideas, suggestions, and guesses as to what's going on. Don't be afraid to hit that review button ;)**

_Her feet were well placed beneath her. She took her right hand off the broom and crouched low to keep her balance, her eyes on the hoop in front of her. She reached for the ball under her arm, pulled her arm back to throw it…_

"No…no…"

_Her left foot fell off first. The ball slipped from her hands just as she slipped from the broom…_

"Bella? Bella, are you okay?"

_She could hear somebody screaming her name as she fell…_

"No..no…NO!" Bella screamed. Her body jerked as she jumped up and tried to grab at the sheets. A sharp pain jolted in her left arm and she fell back along the bed. Her clothes were soaked through with sweat and she was still breathing heavily as she looked around.

"Calm down, Bella," she heard. She looked to her left and realized she wasn't alone. Only then did she take in her surroundings. After seeing all the white, Bella concluded she was in the hospital wing. Daphne and Astoria were to the left of her bed. She sighed and closed her eyes again before looking at the girls.

"What happened?"

"Well…Draco insulted the hippogriff, you pushed him away, it's paw…hoof…thing hit your wrist, which is now broken." Daphne took in a deep breath and continued on. "Something weird is wrong with it so Madam Pomfrey can't heal it properly so you're stuck here until you wake up and she can talk to you about options."

Bella looked from her to Astoria. "Did you breath anywhere during either of those sentences?" The other girls smiled at her and laughed before turning serious once more. Bella glanced down at her wrist before rolling her eyes. "This damn wrist has been broken and magically healed so many times, I'm not surprised Madam Pomfrey can't do anything with it. That's how Daddy found out about my Quidditch playing," she explained. "My wrist wouldn't heal fully with magic, so they had to employ muggle techniques as well."

Just then, Madam Pomfrey walked out of her back room. "Oh good, Ms. Veria! You're finally awake. Now about your wrist, dear…" she started to say.

"Yes ma'am. It won't heal properly with magic because it's been broken so many times before."

"Ah. Well, that does explain why my skelegro and magic won't work. I suppose what we'll have to do is try using a hard cast to hold it in place. A few of the smaller parts of the injury should still be healed by small doses of magic over time."

"Ma'am…how long do you think it'll take?" Bella tentatively asked.

Madam Pomfrey thought for a minute before answering. "Hopefully no longer than 2-3 weeks, although—"

"2-3 weeks?! No. No no no. I have Quidditch tryouts tonight!" Bella threw herself back on to the bed as a few tears leaked from her eyes.

"There's no need to throw a hissy fit, Ms. Veria. I don't recommend you over work your wrist, but if you feel it will be fine, I can't stop you." Madam Pomfrey walked away from the bed and rummaged around in a chest. "I think…I still have the things…for a cast," she told the girls. "Aha! Here they are! I hope you don't mind the color purple, it's the only color I have."

Bella shook her head and stared warily at the items in the medi-witch's hands. "Is it really that bad?" she asked.

"Yes, dear, it is. The only reason you don't feel anything is because of the potion I managed to give you while you were still passed out."

"Passed out…oh Merlin, Draco!" Bella finally remembered. "Is Draco okay? Where is he?" she asked, frantically searching for his blonde hair.

"Relax, Bella! Blaise made him go downstairs and get some food. Honestly, they should be back any minute," Daphne told her.

"Food? We just had breakfast!"

"Yeah, 3 hours ago," Astoria said. "You've been passed out for a few hours!"

"Has anybody owled my dad yet?" she asked.

"No, Blaise said you would probably want to tell him yourself," answered Daphne.

"All done!" Madam Pomfrey announced. Bella looked down at her arm. The cast covered half of the lower part of the arm and went down to cover the palm of her hand. Her thumb was apart from her other fingers. She tried to wiggle her fingers and gasped when the pain shot through her arm. "It's going to hurt for a while. Just take it easy. Other than that, you are free to go whenever you feel up to it." With that, she walked away.

Bella swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She was a little wobbly, but fine otherwise. "Let's go grab some food then. And does anybody have a quill and some extra parchment?" she asked as the three girls walked out of the Hospital Wing.

**BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW**

Bella's afternoon classes went by slowly. With her wrist in the cast, she found she was quite incapable of her normal activity.

"I really hope this doesn't affect my tryout tonight," she whined to Blaise. The two Slytherins were sitting on couches beneath the window in their common room. Bella stretched out along the couch and perched her feet on Blaise's knees.

"You'll be fine. Besides, we already told Flint just how good you are. There's no way he's not going to take you. Just relax Bella."

She sighed and stretched again before standing up. "I'm gonna go change and grab my gear. If you give me 10 minutes, we can walk down to dinner together," she told Blaise. He nodded his head and watched her as she flew up the stairs.

"Slow down! If you break a leg too, there's no way you'll be able to play!" he yelled after her. Bella just rolled her eyes and continued skipping steps until she reached her dorm. She started digging through her clothes, trying to find her lucky jersey. Finally she spotted it at the bottom of her trunk.

"Too poor to buy new clothes?" a voice mocked from behind her. "Look, girls…Arabella must have dug through the rubbish to find that old thing!"

"Shut up, Parkinson," Bella growled.

Pansy lazily inspected her manicured nails. "Oh please. Or what, you'll sic your friends on me?" She giggled, "Oh wait. You don't _have_ any friends!" Her friends laughed at her joke before exiting the dorm.

Bella sat on the floor, fuming over what had just happened. "_Oh, I don't need friends to do anything_," she thought before smiling and walking towards the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Bella skipped back down the stairs and smiled at Blaise. "Sorry it took me a little bit longer. I had some…issues I need to attend to," she said with a smirk.

Blaise stood up and saw the grin on Bella's face. "Do I want to know?" he asked her. She just smiled and walked out the common room.

**BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW BNW**

"You have to eat something!"

"Draco, I'm not hungry."

"Yeah, right. You scarfed down lunch like you thought it was going to disappear. Please, eat just a little protein," Blaise prodded.

"No. I said, I'm not hung-"

"_EAT THE DAMN CHICKEN, BELLA_," Draco yelled. Bella looked across the table at him in shock as Blaise grinned and held out the platter of chicken.

"Okay, okay…no need to yell at me," she muttered, taking a piece from the proffered plate. She slowly ate the chicken and nibbled at a roll until it was time for tryouts. Bella followed Draco and Blaise out onto the pitch, where Blaise told them good luck and went to get a seat in the stands to watch.

"Well, this should be an interesting lot this year," Draco said as he stopped next a man who looked like he should have graduated by now.

"We'll see. Tryouts shouldn't take too long, I'm keeping most of the team from last year," the man said back. He turned to say something else and stopped. "You must be the miracle girl I've heard about. My name's Marcus Flint," he said, holding out his hand.

Bella put on her best smile and shook his hand. "I don't know about miracle girl, but apparently I play well." She saw his eyes flash down to her injured wrist. "Oh, it's nothing. I should be fine, really."

Flint nodded and turned to the group in front of him. "If you're here for anything other than chaser, get off the pitch. We're keeping the same team from last year." There were grumbles and cursing as over half the group left the pitch. Bella looked around and saw that only 4 other people remained. "Everybody up on your brooms and start doing laps. GO!" Flint shouted.

Bella took a few seconds longer than the boys as she found a comfortable holding position for her broken wrist. After their first full lap, the Slytherin team flew up to meet them. They charged each person, hoping to scare them and make them change their course. Bella dodged them as best as she could. Flint put each person through trials very similar to the ones Draco and Blaise had her do previously. She found it was harder to get the ball past their keeper than Blaise, but performed just as well as the others, even with her broken wrist.

Finally, Flint blew his whistle and called them down. He deliberated with the team before coming to stand before the 4 hopefuls.

"Gordon, Hoovler, you two looked like shit. Get off my field," Flint glared at the two boys. Bella felt a knot form in her stomach. "Montague, you look promising. Welcome to the team." Bella whispered good job to him as he walked over to join the team.

Flint looked at Bella and James Goodrich, a 5th year. "Veria, welcome to the team. Goodrich, try again next year," he told them.

Bella felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest. "YES!" she screamed. She couldn't believe she had actually made the team! She ran over to her new team and threw her arms around Draco.

"I told you that you could do it!" he laughed. She finally let him go and jumped up and down, smiling like a fool. Seeing Blaise from the corner of her eye, she bolted over and hugged him as well.

"I couldn't have done it without you guys!" she laughed as she walked back to the team, bouncing the whole way.

"Bella, this is Miles Bletchley, the keeper," Draco introduced. She smiled and shook his hand as Draco continued to introduce the others. "Peregrine Derrick and Lucian Bole, beaters. Marcus is our other chaser. You'll also see a lot of Adrian Pucey. His father is making him take the year off to focus on his classes, but he'll be helping out at practices." Bella smiled as she met each of her new team mates. She really couldn't wait to spend more time with them.

"Um...Draco?" Bella whispered as Flint introduced Montague to the team.

"Yeah?"

"I'm starving…think we could go to the kitchens?"

Draco rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Hey, we'll see you in the common room," he told the team. Bella skipped ahead of Draco and waited for him by the picture of the fruit. They checked to make sure no one was coming before he leaned in and tickled the pear. The painting swung open and the pair entered the kitchens.

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Veria, what may Cottles be getting for you?" a house elf asked the two.

"I'd love a leftovers sandwich and some tea, Cottles, thank you," Bella smiled at her favorite house elf.

"Just the tea," Draco added.

Bella sat down at a table in the corner and stretched her arms as Draco pulled a chair closer to hers. "I seriously couldn't be any happier right now," she smiled, thinking of the games she'd finally be able to participate in.

Draco laughed and poured a cup of tea from the pot another elf had just set down. "Not even a little bit happier with tea?" he asked, pushing the cup towards her.

She took the cup and giggled, "Okay, maybe a little bit!"

"What about with your sandwich?" he added as Cottles set it down in front of her.

Bella stuck her tongue out at Draco before devouring the sandwich. "Fine, now that I am full, with a cup of tea in my hands, I could not be any happier," she told him with a sigh.

Draco looked at her and leaned a little closer. "Are you sure?" he whispered. The tea cup clanked as she set it down on the table. Draco gently placed his hand on her cheek. "Not even a little bit happier?" he again whispered.

"Maybe…a little happier…" Bella whispered back. She looked into his eyes, now a soft silver color, before closing them as his lips touched hers. Draco kissed her tentatively, his hand still on her cheek. Bella kissed him back, sliding her hands around his neck. He pulled her closer, moving his hand down to her back and sliding his other hand into her hair. Bella felt his tongue graze her lips and she slowly opened her mouth.

"Oh!"

Bella and Draco flew apart, Bella's face turning bright red. "Cottles is so sorry, Miss, Sir," the house elf apologized repeatedly before walking away. Bella turned and looked at Draco, a blush and small smile across her face.

"Damn house elf…" Draco whispered, a smile lighting his face as well.

"That's okay…we should be getting back anyways," Bella told him.

The two stood up and walked back to portrait to exit. Draco grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her against him. "I hope that was okay," he whispered to her.

Bella nodded and kissed Draco lightly on the lips. "It was perfect," she whispered back, pulling away to walk out the entrance. They checked the corridors and started their walk back to common room. They had just turned a corner when another voice made them jump.

"Mr. Malfoy! Miss Veria! Could you please explain what you are doing out this late?"

**Dun dun dun! Who do you think caught them? You should review with your guesses : ) Until next time!**

**I'm also looking for a beta currently. If you're interested, PM me!**


End file.
